Cementing head



Feb. 5, 1963 E. BURNS ETAL CEMENTING HEAD Feb. 5,: '1963 E. BURNS ETAL 3,076,509 Y QEMENTING HEAD Filed May 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2.3. I

United States Patent Oliice 3,076,509 CEMENTING HEAD Erwin Burns, Los Angeles, Calif. Burns Tool C0., 8346 Salt Lake Ave., Bell, Calif.), and Peter I. Fiel, Downey, Calif.` Burns Tool Co., 8346 Salt Lake Ave., Bell, Calif.)

Filed May 26, 1958, Ser. No. 737,671 1 Claim. (Cl. 166-70) This invention relates to a piece lof well equipment and is more particularly concerned with a well cementing heard applicable to the upper end of a string of drill p In the course of drilling a well, such ,as an oil well, a casing is lowered into the well to support the walls of the well bore. lt is common practice, by the use of suitable cernenting apparatus, such yas set forth in our copending application entitled ,Cem'enting Apparatus, executed on even date herewith, Serial No. 747,223, tiled July 8, 1958, to set the casing in the well by introducing .and urging cement into the annnlus between the well casing and the well bore.

The ordinary wellcementing apparatus has, parts and portions fixed to the lower end of a string of drill pipe and other parts'or portions related to the casing which is to be cemented into the well.

\ The ordinary or conventional cementinghea'd is a sectional lconstructionand involves a simple, tluid handling body portion adapted to be engaged on the upper end of a string of drill pipe, and a iluid handling head rotatf lably carried by the body `and adapted to connect'` with a hose,` or the like, extending from a suitable cement mixing' and pumping apparatus located adjacent the topof the well. The head portion of the ordinary ccmenting head has `a laterally projecting branch or arm to which the abovementioned hose is connected, and a central, axially aligned top opening, which opening is normally closed by a suitableplug-like closure thread'edly engaged therein, The above-mentioned opening is provided for inserting a drill 'pipe wiping plug into the well structure.l

It will be apparent from the above that inserting adrill pipe wiping plug intoa well structure through the ordinary cementing head `isV slow and oftentimes difcult, s ince it requires, first', stopping all liow throughtle structure; second, removing the closure from the head; third,

insertingl the plug into the head; and fourth,'replaci1'1gY the closure, and finally, reestablishing flow through the construction.

While little diiculty is ever found in stopping flow downwardly into the well, it frequently happens, dueto failure of certain elements of the cementing'a'pparatus at' the bottom of the well, thatiluid under pressure within the well cannot be prevented from ilowing upwardly therein. As a result of theabove, it is frequently impossible or is anl extremely difficult .and dangerous operation to insert a 'casing wiping plug into 'a' well structure through' the ordinary cementing head.

n A generalobject of the present invention isto providev anjimproved cementing head construction of thegeneral character referred to.

Another object of the'present invention is to provide` a; Vcernenting head ofthe character referred to which doesnot require shutting olf, the now of Ailuidinto the well'structure when it is desired to introduce the drill pipe wiping plug'into the structure; l

A further obj-ect of the present invention is to provide a cementing head of the character referred toiin which the drill pipe wiping plug can be advantageously engaged prior to commencement ofthe cementing operation so that the head need not be opened and closed again 2 during the cementing operation for the purpose of inserting the wiping plug.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cementing head of the character referred to which is both easy and economical of manufacture and which is both highlyA effective and dependable` in operation.

The various objects and features of our invention will be fully understood from the following Vdetailed description of a -typicalpreferred form `and application of our invention, throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying'drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is .an elevational view of the cementing head that we provide and showing it related to elements of `a typical wellstructure.

FIG. Z is an enlarged `detailed sectional View of the cementing head embodying the present invention and showing it inanormal unactuated position. FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the construction` in an actuated position.

4 is a transverse sectional View` of a portion of the cementing head that we provide and taken as indicatedby line 4-4 on FIG. 1. Y FIG. f5 is a perspective view of a drill pipe wiping plug suchlas is handled bythe cementing head that we provide.

The cementing head A provided by the present invention is adapted 'to be engaged with a typical `well structure for the purpose of introducing cement, or the like, into the well and to thereafter` introduce a wiping plug to cleanv parts of the well structure free-f cement and to advance the cement into the well as desired. t InFIG. l of the drawings we have shownthe headA engaged at the upper vterminal end of a string of drill pipe S, which string'of drill pipe extends into a well structure W andjs providedwi-tha typical well cementing Vapparatus B at its lowerterrninal en d. v v The Well'cementingapparatusB is shown as including a casing "or liner hanger 1'0 at the lower end of the string of drill pipe, a casing` or line`r 11 depending from the hanger, a ilo-at collar 12 engaged in the liner 1'1V intermediate its ends andv aguide shoe 13 engaged in and closing the lower end'ofltheliner,

. The apparatusBfurther includes otherelements land/or components, such as a setting tool for the hanger 11 and a cementing tool which normally occurs wit-hin ,the liner. Since the saidv apparatus `B does not effect theA novelty of the. present inventionand can varywidely in formand construction, we have only 4illustrated it in a general manner and will not [burden this application with further unnecessary description thereof. r l

Tliecementing head A provided by the present invention is shown as including, generally, fa bfody section C adapted to connect R`with the upper endof the stringof drill jpipes, ahead section D, coupling 'means E rotatably connecting the head section to the b ody section, ,and valve means carriednby thehead section. The structure of the present invention further includes a suitable b y-'pa'ssV means Gv related to the, Kheadsection D and orienting means l related to the head section and engageable v'with the drill pipe wiping plug vengaged therein.

rI 'he body section C of the cementing headthatwe provide is AshownAas including an upper, annular main por.-v tion 14 and an, elongate, vertically disposed stem- 15 fof reduced diameter `depending from the main portion.v The,

said main portion and the stem cooperate to and denne a central, longitudinal 'flow passage 16 which is coextenf.L

The upper or main portion 14 of the body section has a straight, vertically disposed side wall 19 and at, horizontally disposed top and bottom ends establishing upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders 20 and 21.

The upper main portion 14 of the body section is further provided with an upwardly projecting annular boss 22 of reduced diameter, which boss is concentric with the ow passage 16 and is provided about its cxterior with a radially, outwardly opening groove 23 in which a suitable sealing ring 24 is engaged.

The lower terminal end of the stem of the body section is externally threaded and is adapted to be threadedly engaged in the upper end of the drill string S, or as illustrated in the drawings, is threadedly engaged in a coupling or sub 25 iixed to the upper end of the string of drill pipe.

It is to be understood that the body section C could be engaged in or with the upper end of a kelly at the top of the drill pipe string, if a kelly is provided.

The head section D of the cementing head A that we provide is an elongate, vertically disposed unit having a central, longitudinal ow passage 26 extending therethrough. The head section D is a sectional or fabricated unit and includes a lower base section 27, a top section 28 projecting upwardly from the base section and a side member 29 fixed to and projecting laterally of the base portion.

The base section 27 of the head section is a machined metal part and has a square, block-like, central portion 30 with flat, vertically disposed sides 31, a horizontally disposed bore 32 extending transversely of the said portion, from one side thereof to the other and intersecting the iiow passage 26, and a laterally disposed port 33 in another of its sides to intersect and communicate with the said bore.

The base section 27 of the head section D further includes a cylindrical, externally threaded lower portion 34 depending from the bottom of the central portion 30 and having a flat, horizontally disposed bottom 35 with a central, downwardly opening socket 36 therein, and a cylindrical internally threaded, boss-like upper portion 37 projecting upwardly from the central portion and adapted to receive the upper section 28 of the head section.

The upper section 28 of the head section D is an elongate, vertically disposed, tubular member, externally threaded at its lower end as at 38 and internally threaded at its upper end as at 39. The lower end of the upper section is threadedly engaged in the upper portion 37 of the base section 27 and is closed at its upper end and Iby a suitable plug-like closure 40 which is threadedly engaged therein.

The side member 29 of the head D is a simple, straight, horizontally disposed, tubular member fixed to the side of the central portion 31 of the head section in which the lateral port 33 occurs, to establish open communication therewith and is provided at its outer end with a suitable threaded enlargement 41 adapted to cooperatively engage with a suitable hose coupling 42 at the end of a supply hose 43 extending from a suitable cementing mixing and pumping apparatus (not shown). In the case illustrated, 4the member 29 of the head section is formed of a length of pipe and is fixed to the central portion 30 of the base section 27 as by welding W.

The body section C and head section D are related to each other with the boss 22 of the body section slidably engaged in the socket 36 in the head section and so that the upwardly facing shoulder of the body section establishing sliding sealing engagement on the bottom 35 of the body section.

It will be apparent that when the head section and body section are engaged in the manner set forth above, the sealing ring 24 carried by the boss 22 establishes sealing engagement with the wall of the socket 36.

The coupling means E rotatably connecting the head section D to the body' secti'n C is shown as including, an elongate, vertically disposed collar 45 having a central opening 46 rotatably receiving the stern 15 of the body section C, an upwardly opening socket 47 having a fiat bottom 48 and adapted to freely receive the main portion 14 of the body section C and to threadedly receive or engage the lower threaded portion 34 of the head section D.

The coupling means E is shown as further including a suitable anti-friction bearing 49, in the socket 47 in the collar 45, to occur between the downwardly facing shoulder 21 of the head section D and the bottom 48 of the socket, and a suitable sleeve bearing 50 engaged in a socket 51 entering the bottom of the collar and establishing sliding bearing engagement about the stem 15 of the body section C.

In normal operation the supply hose 43 is suitably supported and suspended by lines (not shown) so as to be maintained free of other working gear about the well site. As a result, the head A is normally held up and in tension with respect to the string S. Accordingly, the bearing 49 is arranged between the shoulder 21 and the bottom 48 of the socket, to assure free relative rotation between the running parts of the head.

It is to be understood that the particular coupling means illustrated in the drawings and briefly described above -is only typical of one preferred form of coupling means that could be provided to rotatably connect the sections C and D of our cementing head together and in no way effects the novelty of the present invention.

The valve means F that we provide is shown as including a simple, horizontally disposed, cylindrical pluglike valve element 52 slidably engaged in the bore 32 in the central portion 30 of the head section D. The valve element 52 has a transverse bore 53 extending through it, at a point intermediate its ends, and a lateral port 54 at right angles to and intersecting the bore 53.

The valve element 52 is adapted to normally be positioned in the bore 32 in the body with the bore 53 thereof in axial alignment and in open communication with the port 33 in the head section, and with the port 54 thereof disposed downwardly and in open communication with the portion of the iiow passage 26 in the head section occurring below the element.

With this relationship of parts, it will be apparent that cement introduced into the construction through the member 29 of the head section, is directed downwardly through the construction and into the drill pipe S as indicated by the arrows X in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Upon rotation of the valve member one-quarter of a revolution, of ninety degrees, in the direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the valve element is shifted to the position shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, wherein the bore 53 registers with the flow passage 26 and the port 33 in the head section is shut oft" or closed.

A suitable sealing means is provided to seal between the valve element and the body section and in the case under consideration, is shown as including a pair of longitudinally spaced grooves 55 in the valve member to occur at opposite sides of the bore 53 therein, sealing rings 56 engaged in the grooves and establishing sealing engagement with the wall of the bore 32 -in the head section.

In the form of the invention under consideration, the valve element 52 is held in engagement in the head section by a suitable retaining and indexing means, which means is shown as including an annular, radially outwardly opening groove 57 adjacent one end of the valve member and having a pair of circumferentially spaced recesses 58 in its bottom, and a spring-loaded retaining pin 59 carried by a cup member 60 screw threaded into the top of the central portion 30 of the head section. The pin 59 is slidably carried by the cup member 60 for free vertical shifting relative thereto and is adapted to project into the groove 57 and to yieldingly enter the recesses 58 in the bottom thereof. A compression spring 60', indicated in broken lines in FIG. 4 of the drawings, is provided within the cup member 60, above the pin 59 to normally yieldingly urgel the pin* downwardly into engagement inthe groove 57 and one of the recesses'-58. The recesses 58 are spaced ninety degrees apart andare positionedso that one registers with and receives the pin 59 when the valve member isr rotated into each of the two above-mentioned rotative positions.

With the above relationship of parts, it will be apparent 'that the pin 59 engaged in the groove 57 inthe valve member Y52 prevents longitudinal shifting and displacement of thevalve member.- It will also'beapparent that the pin, upon entering one or the other of the recesses 58 in the bottom of the grooves57 in the valve member, serves to properly position and maintain the valve member in the desired or selective rotative position.

In addition to the foregoing, the valve member 52 is provided with a cylindrical enlargement 61 at one end, which enlargement occurs at the exterior of the head and is provided with a transverse opening 62 in which a bar-like operating lever 63 can be advantageously engaged to rotate the valve member 52.

The by-pass means G that we provide involves a port 63 in the top side of the section 29 of the head D, a lateral port 64 in the upper end portion of the top section 28 of the head section and a fluid duct 65 fixed to and extending between the said sections 28 and 29 of the head section and establishing open communication between the above mentioned ports therein.

With the above relationship of parts, and when the valve member 52 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, cement pumped into the cementing head flows in the direction indicated by the arrows X, but Will not ow through the by-pass means G and into the upper section 28 of the head. When the valve member 52 is in the position shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, wherein the port 33 is closed and the bore 53 in the valve member 52 is in register with the ow passage 26 extending through the head, the cement being pumped into and through the head Section flows through the by.- pass means G and into the upper end of the upper section 28 of the head section, as indicated by the arrows Z in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

As pointed out above, the cementing head provided by the present invention is adapted to introduce a charge of cement into the drill pipe string to which it is related and to thereafter introduce a wiping plug into the said string to advance the charge of cement therethrough and to wipe the bore of the drill string clean of any cement which might cling or stick thereto.

In PIG. of the drawings, we have shown a typical drill pipe wiping plug 70. The plug 70 is shown as including, an elongate, vertically disposed head 71 with a rounded nose 72 at its lower end, and an elongate, vertically disposed rubber body 73 projecting upwardly from the head section and having a plurality of vertically spaced, radially outwardly projecting wiping flanges 74'. The uppermost wiping flange 74 of the plug 70 is upwardly inclined and establishes what is, in effect, an upwardly opening wiping cup upon or in which fluid occurring above the plug can act to urge the plug downwardly in and through the string of drill pipe which it is to wipe.

It is to be understood that the plug 70 illustrated in the drawings and described above is only typical of one form of plug that can be advantageously handled by the cementing head that we provide.

In operation, the plug 70 is engaged in the upper section 28 of the head in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This is accomplished by removal of the plug-like closure 40 at the top of the said section 28 of the head section, inserting the plug 70 into the said section 28, and then re-engaging the closure into the head section.

After the entire charge of cement being handled is in the drill pipe S and in the ow passage 2,6 of the cementf ing head, a suitable circulating fluid is pumped into and through the circulating head to follow the charge. n When this flow of circulating lfluid is started the valve member 52 is rotatedrto the position shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, whereupon the-circulating uid ows through the by-pass means G` and acts upon the upper end of the wiping plug 70 to urge it downwardly through the valve meansF, the body section C of the cementing head and through the string of drill pipe S.

`Theorienting. means I that we provide isl adapted to maintain the wiping plug k70 downf in thelupper section 28y of the head section, below the-port 64 therein and so that when thevalve member is` actuated or shifted to 'the position illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the

plug 70 will be in proper position to be actuated upon the circulating fluid and can be urged downwardly through the construction as desired.

The orienting means I is shown as including a simple,

lstraight spacer bar 76 xed to the bottom of the closure 40 and depending into the upper section 2S of the head section D to engage the upper end of the body 73 of the wiping plug 70.

With the construction set forth above, it will be apparent that we have invented an improved cementing head construction adapted to carry a drill pipe wiping plug and which is operable to release and direct the said wiping plug downwardly into a string of drill pipe with which the construction is related, without the necessity of interrupting the cementing operation as by shutting oif the ilow of fluid through the cementing head and manually inserting the wiping plug.

It is also apparent that we have provided an improved cementing head which is both easy and economical of manufacture and a head which is lboth highly efriective and dependable in operation.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of our invention, we do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but Wish to reserve to ourselves any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall Within the scope of the following claim,

Having described our invention, we claim;

A cementing head applicable to the upper end of a string of drill pipe and including an elongate, vertically disposed body section having a central longitudinal ow passage adapted to be fixed to and to project upwardly from a drill pipe, an elongate, vertically disposed head section having a central longitudinal iiow passage, cou pling means rotatably connecting the head section to the body section to project upwardly therefrom and with the flow passages in axial alignment, a closure engaged in and closing the upper end of the ow passage in the head section, la unitary valve means carried by the head sec tion intermediate its ends and intersecting the ow pas! sage, .a laterally projecting uid conducting member on the head to communicate with the ow passage adjacent the valve means and to connect with a fluid supply means, a by-pass means extending between and establishing comE munication between the said Huid conducting member on the head section and the upper end of the ow passage, said valve means including an elongate, horizontally disposed, cylindrical valve member with a transverse bore extending therethrough and a port entering it from one side at right angles to and communicating with the bore, said valve member being engaged in a horizontally dis posed opening in the head section and normally positioned therein with the bo-re thereof in axial alignment with the said iiuid conducting member and with the port therein disposed downw-ardly and establishing communication between the bore and the flow passage below the valve member, and rotatable to a position where communication between the ow passage and the said member on the head is closed and where the bore is in axial alignment with the said ow passage, said valve member having radially outwardly opening grooves to occur at opposite sides of the bore therein, sealing rings in the grooves to seal therein and in the opening in the head section, a radially outwardly opening channel adjacent one end and receiving a retaining pin carried by the head section and an enlargement at one end to occur at the exterior of the head section and an operating lever xed to and projecting from the enlargement, a drill pipe wiping plug in the ow passage in the head section above the valve means, said plug being adapted to be urged downwardly through the valve means, the flow passage in the body section, and into the str-ing of drill pipe with which the head is related by fluid when the valve member is rotated to the position where the bore therein is in register with the ow passage and fluid is directed through the by-pass means and into the ow passage in the head section above the plug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,695 Edson May 15, 1883 473,839 Hogan Apr. 26, 1892 881,711 Palmer Mar. 10, 1908 1,446,547 Crowe Feb. 27, 1923 2,481,422 Haynes Sept. 6, 1949 2,615,519 C-arr Oct. 28, 1952 2,662,602 Schnitter Dec. 15, 1953 2,687,046 Vorech Aug. 24, 1954 2,698,582 Vincent Jan. 4, 1955 2,713,909 Baker July 26, 1955 2,725,121 Lowe Nov. 29, 1955 

